Medicating with Marijuana may not be for you if….

Have you been considering medicating with marijuana? Choosing to treat my chronic conditions with marijuana was the best decision I have ever made regarding my health. While it has given me new life, I also understand that it isn’t for everybody. So how do you know if it is for you or not?

Medicating with marijuana may not be for you if…….

….. you do not have access to any medical marijuana dispensaries. Never purchase marijuana from a street dealer!!!! Dispensaries provide clean marijuana and you can be confident that it wasn’t tainted with anything you wouldn’t want to put in your body.

….. you believe that your doctor will support your decision. Although two of my physicians have not discouraged me from medicating with marijuana, they don’t necessarily support it either. One understands that it is my only choice because my body reacts so badly to prescription pain pills, but can’t wrap his head around the fact that there are ways to medicate in this manner without being “high”. The other is happy that I am experiencing relief and is curious about how it has improved my physical and mental state, but refuses to note how I medicate or the improvements in my records. This is why there are independent physicians/clinics that give out recommendations, the chance of your insurance covered physician recommending marijuana is extremely rare!

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….you are not willing to pay more than your health insurance copay for medication. It would make more financial sense for me to medicate with insurance approved medications based on medication alone. The amount of money I spend on medical marijuana is far more than I have ever paid for my insurance covered prescriptions, but is worth every penny because it actually helps me! It helps me so much that I actually save money by spending more on my meds. I spend less time in the emergency room and doctors office and have no need for any prescriptions. By the way, the amount of money spent on medical marijuana is not only not covered by insurance, you also won’t be able to deduct your expense on your taxes or submit for reimbursement from your medical savings account.

…..you think that you will be picking up your medical marijuana from a pharmacy. Sorry, your local pharmacy does not carry medical marijuana!!! As stated above, you will need to find a dispensary or learn to grow it yourself. Finding a dispensary you trust or feel safe in can be a daunting task. Most are not located in desirable areas. I travel 15 miles twice a month to stock up on my meds because I know that particular dispensary will always have what I want available.

…..you think that the only way to medicate with marijuana is to smoke it. There are many ways to medicated with marijuana. You can smoke it, apply it topically, or eat and drink it.

…..you can’t handle people teasing you. Overall I have received positive comments from people when they first learn of how I treat my pain. But there are some that like to continuously tease me about being a stoner.

…..you think that it is okay to drink alcohol or take other pain drugs while medicating with marijuana. I don’t care if you are medicating with a pharmaceutical pain medication or marijuana, you should never mix either with alcohol or other pain drugs. Marijuana alone has never killed anyone. Anytime someone has died with marijuana in their system it was because they mixed it with something else!! Sadly this can’t be said for pharmaceutical pain medications.

…..you think that having a medical marijuana recommendation means that you are allowed to smoke your weed in public. NO!! It means that you are permitted to medicated in the privacy of your home. However, there are ways to medicated discretely in public by using edibles. This is no different than popping a pain pill while out of the house.

…..you think it is okay to drive when medicated. I don’t care if you are medicating with marijuana or pharmaceutical pain pills, or if you just had a few drinks, DO THE WORLD A FAVOR AND DO NOT DRIVE!!!! Our need for pain relief is not worth risking the lives of others.

…..the thought of being in control of and deciding what dosage to take scares the crap out of you. Personally this is one of my favorite aspects of medicating with marijuana. Unlike a pill that at the most could only be broke down into halves, I have complete control over how much I want to use. The amount of each dosage depends on my pain level at that time. Over time I have learned that I need X amount of milligrams to go to bed each night. There is no chart or directions to follow, it took a lot of trial and error. But knowing that I am in control of the extent I medicate with was worth the time figuring out what my body needed.

…..you are waiting for the government to create a synthetic version. If this is what you want then you might as well stick with your prescription pain pills, because anything man made is going to come with a list of side effects and this takes away from the healing powers of the natural plant. Would you want to eat a synthetic apple? No, you would want the real thing!

…..you think that only FDA approved medications should be allowed. Every FDA approved medication I took for my conditions only made me sicker. By treating my pain with a natural plant I am no longer sicker than I have to be. The only side effects I have experienced are a case of the giggles, occasional munchies, healthy hair, and strong finger nails.

Choosing to medicate with marijuana is a decision that should not be taken lightly. It is more than just wanting to find an alternative, it is about wanting to be kind to our already aching bodies and wanting to be in control over what substances we put in our bodies. If you think you are ready I highly suggest that you talk with others that already medicate with marijuana.

I am in no way suggesting that cannabis will cure you or make your pain disappear. I have not been cured and yes I still experience pain on a daily basis. But as I reach my two year mark I am pleased to note improvements. Two years ago I couldn’t tolerate the pain that standing for less than 5 minutes inflicted. Today I experience days where I am able to stand for 15 minutes before wanting to collapse!!! Never once did I have improvement while treating my conditions with pharmaceutical medications, my symptoms and their severity only increased. This is just one example of how marijuana is giving me my life back.

Is medicating with marijuana for you? Only you can make that decision!

12 thoughts on “Medicating with Marijuana may not be for you if….”

Reblogged this on aBodyofHope and commented:
With more and more states in the US permitting the use of medical cannabis for different conditions, questions about medical marijuana have been on the lips of nearly every person with a chronic or progressive condition.
Author/blogger, The Disabled Diva answers your questions and curiosities in this totally dope article 🙂

How much would you say you spend a month on it? It’s something I really want to try, I’m waiting for it to be legal in my own state… but that could be as soon as next year it sounds like. Cost is a major factor for me, I struggle to work a 40 hour week as of now.

Cost was what held me back at first too. The price of your yearly recommendation varies depending upon where you live. In CA I paid $60 for my first year then $45 for my second year. In AZ the average yearly rec price is $300. In CA I spend between $100-$300 for my meds. It all depends on which products or the amount needed each month.

Yes! Excellent post! This is the only pain relief I use now, and the only one with NO side effects. Unfortunately, the average person is woefully uninformed and buying the propaganda fueled by big pharma and the alcohol/tobacco industries. The last thing in the world they want is for the public to discover med marj and its benefits (pain relief, no side effects, no hangover, no addiction {except those who are prone to addiction anyway}, tumor shrinking benefits, ect.). That being said, of course it is not for everyone, but I am so grateful to have it knowing I am doing my body good and not harm. Right now I only use at night before bed, I can now fall asleep and feel halfway rested, which of course helps with pain management the next day. There are also strains low in THC and high in CBD so you can receive benefits without being ‘out of it’. Thanks for the post Ms. Diva!